Red Ken Goes Multicultural On The Slave Trade
by user Towncommons Ken Livingstone, or as he is more commonly known, Red Ken, the Mayor of London, has authored a commentary in today’s Guardian wherein he, in his capacity as Mayor, has apologized for “London’s role in the monstrous crime” of slavery – and more specifically - transatlantic slavery. The tranatlantic slavery that Britain ended 200 years ago. It is just Britain’s most visible far left multiculturalist doing what comes natural. No need to applaud. Its all in a days work for a good leftist like Red Ken. There are obvious disconnects in what Red Ken is doing in his apology. The most glaringly obvious of which is that there is no one alive in Britain today who took part in the transatlantic slave trade. So why is Red Ken apologizing? To understand the answer is to understand the guiding philosophy of the left in Britain today – multiculturalism. (see my post here). The dogma of that philosophy is that Britain’s past is sinful – indeed, it is stained with an original sin that cannot be wiped clean. But by acknowledging the sinful past, and never forgiving his country – or western civilization as a whole, depending on the particular sin - the multiculturalist is at least able to absolve him or herself personally of the sin and assume the moral high ground. Ahhhh, it must be such a wonderful holier then thou feeling for Red Ken. The next question is, to whom is Red Ken apologizing. He does not even name the recipients of the apology in his piece – which I think is quite telling. While superficially, one might assume that this apology for the slave trade is aimed at the slaves so transported (or at least their progeny), I think the failure to direct the apology is likely much more Freudian in aspect. The apology, to the extent ostensibly directed to the deceased slaves and their progeny is equally directed to the evil occidentals of London and the U.K., It is to remind them that their culture is inherently evil and stained with sin. The third question if one of historical interpretation. Red Ken argues that the British involvement in slavery was ended by “black resistance and economic development . . ., not white philanthropy.” That is more then just a bit of revisionist history - it is actually the prototypical multiculturalist approach to history. All history is taken out of context and then viewed through a modern moral prism, ultimately to be redefined to either fit the belief system of the multiculturalist, or to be demonized. In this instance, it is clear that Red Ken simply does not wish to interpret any event by the British in abolishing slavery as being an act that would remove their sin. As an aside, I would add that, as to slavery in America, which Red Ken also touches on, the number of American’s who died to see slavery’s end in the States constitutes a bit more then mere philanthropy on the part of occidentals. And lastly is the question most flummoxing. I do not know why Red Ken does not take this golden opportunity, two centuries after Britain succumbed to slave revolts and were forced thereby to stop engaging in slavery, ahem, to denounce slavery throughout the world today. That would be much more meaningful then this ridiculous act of meaningless self-castigation. There are many countries today - several of them championed by Red Ken in running his own foreign policy - who still practice both sexual and economic slavery. Both forms are not uncommon in the Middle East, portions of Pakistan and India. And in Africa, UNICEF estimates that 200,000 children are sold into slavery each year. "Many of these children are from Benin and Togo, and are sold into the domestic, agricultural, and sex industries of wealthier, neighboring countries such as Nigeria and Gabon" And human trafficking in children for the sex trade is a problem in several Asian countries today. See here. Ahhh, but therein lies the rub. That would mean making a value judgment about other cultures - an act abhorrent to a multiculturalist such as Red Ken. To Red Ken, it is capitalism, democracy, and western culture that are the evils in this world. All other cultures are given a non-judgmental free pass. And you wonder why Britain has such a problem with radical Islamists in their midst? You need look no further then the poster boy for the suicidal philosophy of multiculturalism, Red Ken. To the Londoners alive to day, you owe no apology to anyone for acts that you had no part in two centuries ago, and I would urge you to view them in the true historical context of the time. And also to the Londoners alive today, you do own an apology to the world for voting Ken Livingstone to be Mayor of your great city. Are you completely insane? Cross posted from Town Commons __NOEDITSECTION__ Category: Opinions Category: Opinions by User Towncommons Category: March 22, 2007 Category: Opinions From The Opinion Wiki, a Wikia wiki. From The Opinion Wiki, a Wikia wiki.